Cactus & Mime

A documentary crew inadvertently captures the declining success of a children’s theatre duo. Based on the award-winning stage play ‘Cactus and the Mime’.

Darcy Conlan: Director
Roby Favretto: Writer
Caitlin Spears: Writer
Roby Favretto: Producer
Caitlin Spears: Producer
Wilson Huang: Cinematographer
Roby Favretto: Key Cast”Trevor (Cactus)
Caitlin Spears: Key Cast”Amanda (Mime)
Christine Husband: Key Cast”Zara”

In 2017 I had the privilege of seeing my friends Roby & Caitlin perform ‘Cactus and the Mime’ as a stage play at Melbourne Fringe Festival. It really blew me away. It struck this wild, acid dream balance of dark and absurdist humour mixed with genuine pathos and tragedy; just totally personal and unique. So when the pair approached me and asked whether I would take on the role of directing their short film adaptation, I was incredibly honoured and excited by the fresh take on the material they proposed.

Together we crafted a documentary-style around the titular characters, grounding them in the rules of the form. My highlight from the project was collaborating and guiding Roby and Caitlin’s performances each day, exploring their nuanced and colourful characters over an extended period of time on stage and screen. To see them both fully realised in this film is a treat.